History

JP Forum on Apr. 4: It’s Time to Change the State’s Racist Flag & Seal

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The next Jamaica Plain Forum will be discussing how to change Massachusetts' official flag and seal, which is regarded as a symbol of white supremacy. "The current flag and seal, which features a Colonial broadsword held in a white hand over the head of a composite 'Ideal Native American,' is one of two state flags in the United States that remains controversial due to its representation of white supremacy," says the Jamaica Plain Forum website. (The other state is Mississippi, which still uses the Confederate Stars and Bars.)

For more than 30 years there has been proposed legislation to establish a special commission to review the state flag and seal, while working with Native American leaders of the Commonwealth to create a new flag and seal. This year state Rep. Nika Elugardo, D-15th Suffolk District, co-filed a bill to establish the commission. Elugardo is one of the scheduled speakers for the April 4th forum.

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Government

Rep. Elugardo’s Legislative Goals: Renewable Energy, Unnecessary Vacancies and More

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On January 2, Nika Elugardo was sworn into her first term as the state representative for the 15th Suffolk District. So what's on her legislative plate? Q: Which of the bills are refiles and which ones are original bills being submitted for the first time? Elugardo: Of the 15 bills we filed, two are refiles: H2453 An Act to amend the Brownfields tax credit, and H3282 An Act to prevent unnecessary vacancies in foreclosed homes. The rest were original bills drafted by my team, by advocate partners, or in collaboration with partners.

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Opinion

Letter: Elugardo Supports Transparency at State House, Malia Can Do More

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On Jan. 30th, the Massachusetts House voted against rules that would require the Speaker to give them enough time to read what they’re about to vote on and make the votes they take in committees publicly available. Despite how outrageous it is that the House would vote against these basic transparency measures, I’m thrilled that Jamaica Plain's new state representative, Rep. Nika Elugardo (D-15th Suffolk), is already proving herself an advocate for the people of our district when she stood up to leadership and voted in favor of transparency and accountability. However, my question remains: what was JP’s other representative (my representative), Rep. Liz Malia (D-11th Suffolk), thinking when she voted no? She voted against allowing reps ample time to read bills and amendments that they are voting on.

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Government

Sheroes at Doyle’s: Ayanna, Rollins, Nika, Malia, Chang-Diaz on Dec. 12

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The JP Progressives are hosting their annual fundraiser on Dec. 12 and it's going to feature several newly elected sheroes. "Our work this year was extensive, and we are proud of both the results that we helped achieve and the effort we put forward. We gathered signatures for ballot questions and candidates. We organized phone and text banks to elect progressive candidates to state and federal offices across the nation.

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Elections

Jamaica Plain Election Info: Candidates, Ballot Questions, Where to Vote and More

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Tuesday's Election Day is going to be extremely tame, at least in Massachusetts, compared to the fireworks of September's primaries, which already decided all of the major races. Not sure where you vote? Click here to find out where to vote. Races Already Decided

Jamaica Plain encompasses two congressional districts and there is only one candidate in the final of each. At-Large Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley is headed to Washington, DC after defeating 10-time incumbent Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary for the 7th District.

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Elections

Nika Elugardo on Her Victory, Legislative Goals and Who Told Her She Won

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Even though media had already declared Nika Elugardo the winner of the 15th Suffolk District state representative race, she wasn't ready to declare victory. The holdup was a pesky broken ballot box in one precinct and Elugardo needed to know the final vote tally across the district. But it wasn't until she got a phone call from a certain politician congratulating her on being victorious that let her know she won. Within a short time the ballot box was fixed and Elugardo took home 52 percent of the vote to incumbent Jeffrey Sánchez's 47 percent, making her victory one of the biggest upsets in recent Massachusetts election history! And that phone call? It was a voicemail message from Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, said Elugardo to Jamaica Plain News.

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Elections

Election Results: Ayanna Pressley Wins! Nika Elugardo Wins! Rachael Rollins Wins!

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Massachusetts politics just got shook up! Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley defeated 1o-time incumbent Congressman Michael Capuano. Nika Elugardo has defeated state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, taking down the chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means. But wait -- there's more! Rachael Rollins has won the Democratic Party nomination for the Suffolk County District Attorney seat.

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Elections

Poll: Sánchez vs Elugardo — Who Are You Voting For?

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State representative races are usually sleepy affairs. The incumbent is often unopposed in the primary, maybe they face an also-ran candidate or a perennial candidate. This is not the case for this year's 15th Suffolk District state rep race in which incumbent Jeffrey Sánchez is challenged by Nika Elugardo. Sánchez was first elected in 2003, and is in the first year of being the chair of the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. Elugardo was not a novice to the local political scene, having been a senior policy advisor to state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-2nd Suffolk).

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